Overall a number of new releases drove physical software sales to a 57% increase over May 2013, with the hardware number increasing by 95%.

As you can see in the top 10 software sales below, Nintendo's kart racer is only behind Ubisoft's multi-platform title Watch Dogs.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe can also boast a positive result as a single-platform title, launched on 2nd May and securing ninth place; Mario Kart 8 had just its opening weekend to claim second place.

Overall, Sony's PS4 was the top-selling hardware, though we're awaiting firm sources to confirm Nintendo's performance in this area — there are suggestions that 3DS was in second place, though the only figures currently available are unofficial. NPD analyst Liam Callahan has also said that while "much of May 2014's hardware growth was due to Xbox One and PS4, there was also year-over-year growth for the Wii U, and PS Vita"; that reinforces often repeated comments from Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime, during E3, that Mario Kart 8's release prompted a 4x increase in Wii U hardware sales.

These are certainly positive results for Nintendo, while it'll be interesting to see how momentum for its games and systems hold in June.

Welsh ex-pat Tom is responsible for the day-to-day running of the site. He's the guy to thank for the generally brilliant nature of the content which massages your eyeballs on a daily basis. Also has an unhealthy obsession with all things Bowser.

Yep 3DS was second place for sure its been confirmed. Wii U was at just over 60k so its likely it was 4th place. Still that's pretty good considering, June will be very interesting as it took a few days for the MK8 hype,good word of mouth and memes to sink in.

Seems to be the same story as Japan and the UK, the game is selling well, but hardly any improvement in console sales. Hopefully E3 will help the June figures, but there's also a $100 price cut for the Xbone in June that's probably going to make it a good month for them (but I shudder to think what their May figure is after that early announcement that Kinnectless was coming).

For anecdotal evidence, I know quite a few people that bought a Wii U last week, but I also know a ton of people that bought Wonderful 101 and that's been a monumental flop in terms of sales

As said above, MK8 seems to have had a decent impact as far as encouraging fence-sitters to pick up the Wii U........now Nintendo just needs to sustain that energy.......no peaking when a killer title arrives and than diving back down in sales once a few weeks have passed.

Not surprised at all. Mario Kart sells... A lot. Happy to see that Kirby had charted too. Watch Dogs looks good, but I just was caught up in the hype to say that it was better than GTAV. Also happy to see that Wii U sold 60K.

Good point, there was nothing major to purchase since DKC: Tropical Freeze in February, it's no surprise that the attach rate for MK8 is huge. When you have been starving for sometime, you'll eat anything, and MK8 is a delicious ice cream cake.

Mario Kart 8 obviously sold well, but the Wii U hardware "improvement"... sold 33 thousand in May 2013, improvement of 27 thousand year-on-year. Sold 48 thousand in April 2014, improvement of 12 thousand month-on-month. This despite getting its biggest game of the year.

Pretty good news all round. I'm predicting a huge summer drout of Wii U sales as all existing owners sit on their preorders and newcomers wait for Hyrule Warriors, Watchdogs, Bayo, Captain toad and Smash, before grabbing a console

I like how everything is multi platform except for Nintendo's titles. They have two spots while the other companies only have one with the exception of Activision. BUt guys... come on, Nintendo is doomed.

@ikki5 This was Wii U's biggest release of the year. Now it's summer, and there's nothing noteworthy coming out. And there will be barely anything even in the fall, which only has a handful of Wii U games coming out.

Also, in the chart I linked, games on Nintendo platforms held seven spots, and the remaining ones were GTA and Call of Duty.

@SockoMario But it's not possible to buy or use Wii U without the Gamepad, even for Mario Kart 8. So, if people want Mario Kart 8, they're forced to pay premium price for a cumbersome controller that the game doesn't even require. You don't think that might limit buyer interest just a bit?

@Mahe I doubt a regular controller would have much affect on console sales...

As for game selection, that's subjective opinion. Maybe you or someone else thinks the current crop of PS4 or XB1 titles, including those down the pipe, look noteworthy. I am personally not interested in even ONE title for either of those two systems. Not. Even. One. On the other hand, all of the 8 fingers / 2 thumbs on my two hands aren't enough to count all the games I want on Wii U...

Nintendo has utterly failed to market the system, but their game selection is more diverse than the competition, regardless of sales. That's indicative of consumers only buying the same things, rather than exploring new territory.

It's not that the Gamepad is driving people away. Many people drive themselves away from fundamental systemic change. People tend to stick with what they know and are comfortable with.

@Mahe FYI You can't buy a Wii U without a gamepad but you can certainly use a Wii U without the gamepad. You can boot up and navigate with a wiimote or pro controller, the only things linked to the gamepad are the eshop and the settings menu (which is weird).

However, when MK7 came out, 3DS was only 8 months old, and had been selling very poorly. Now, at MK8, the Wii U is already 18 months old, and has two holiday seasons behind it (launch 2012 and holiday 2013), so it has a more matured install base.

I fail to see the confusion. Mario Kart is evergreen, starts off slow, ends slow, and settles in for the long run. Anyone saying otherwise is an idiot; as it happens every time. Of course it wouldn't sell better than Watch_Dogs, that game is multiplat and decided to come in, and therefore go out, with a bang. Different strategies, and yet you all compare them because they are in the same chart. That proves nothing.

@Grumblevolcano MK Wii came out on April 27th so only 4 days in the NPD period. Then, in the 31 days of May, the hardware number was lower. This is why people pay so much attention to chart debuts, because Day 1 is almost always higher than the next week, next 2 weeks, even the next month. Day one is always huge.

This chart is not a fair comparison in multiple ways. It lumps all sales of multiplatform titles together, instead of differentiating between individual platforms. It doesn't factor in "buy 1, get another free or discounted" sales or bundles; versus single product sales. And of course... no digital sales numbers, since that's proprietary information...

Just another reminder that the NPD is going the way of the dinosaur...

@Mahe There might be some boost in sales if the Wii U just used the Pro controller (or something similar) and used no Gamepad, but the demographics that would affect are not significant enough to make a serious dent at this point.

Human beings are often scared of systemic change in all things. Amongst the big players in gaming, Nintendo is the one rocking the boat. Few sympathize with those rocking the boat, unless they see something about the act they can identify with, since society (and most parents) teaches us to sit down and shut up, not stand up and speak up. That goes for our values, too.

Nintendo no longer fits the values of the commonly perceived "core" enthusiast, so no matter what Nintendo does, those people will still stick with Sony and Microsoft based upon their values.

@Grumblevolcano And by the time you've installed the update, the gamepad has grown on most users. Need to type something? Easy! Want to watch TV while your system updates? No problem. And that's before you even find out how much moreuseful it can be in games. There's a reason both MS and Sony are doing their own second screen experience. You can buy a Vita and PS4 to use the Vita as a controller with a screen, or buy an Xbone and an MS phone, or for under half the price, buy a Wii U.

@Mahe LOL, I see your point. Still, people identified with a remote controller that looks like a TV remote, because, well... whom among us living in an industrialized society hasn't used one of those? Even though it went against the status quo of gaming, it appealed towards the status quo of society... if that makes any sense.

The Wii Upad, on the otherhand, is a weird tablet/controller amalgam, definitely not something that has the legacy of the TV remote. Ironically, TV remotes are becoming more hated now that all these digital TV's are common, since they use way too many buttons... And you need one for each of the different devices, instead of one or two for all of them...

Yet Lo and behold, the Wii Upad is useful for more than just it's own system, and is easier to use than a modern digital TV remote... It's funny how things work out.

@Mahe Regardless of controller type I doubt the Wii U would have outsold the Wii. In fact, it seems very doubtful that ANY of this generation's consoles will outsell the Wii.

At the time, the Wii would have been considered a disruptive and revolutionary product. From a pure sales perspective it would already have an edge because of that; having a casual oriented approach at that time would also have been a bonus.

That being said the Wii U is not doing that well compared to say the Xbox 360 and the PS3 which are a better comparison.

Marketing is probably the bigger problem at the moment than the controller. When the console was first revealed, it wasn't clear if the controller was an add-on. It certainly didn't help that the console itself did not really have its own distinctive look. It looks generic to say the least. Probably wouldn't have helped if it had a "traditional" controller as it would just make the console look even more generic. The competition was careful enough to make their current generation console distinctive looking compared to their predecessors. Nintendo wasn't careful enough in that sense.

@Mahe I'm truly flabbergasted by your level of trolling considering you purportedly own a WiiU yourself, plus a plethora of games as you suggest. Wouldn't that make you a fool to bash something you own?

@Blast You're telling me! I played it on a friend's PS4 this past weekend, and was fairly underwhelmed. I guess GTA with hacking sounds better on paper rather than its execution. Then again, it could just be the atrocious vehicle physics. .. Depending on reviews and GamePad usage, I may end up canceling my pre-order. -_-

@Peach64 hey be nice W101 was a flop but its damn good game probably one of the most creative games Platinum has made. Most people who've played it understand its awesomeness so spread the good word and maybe it'll get a cult following and maybe just maybe we could get a sequel in the future…dont say it...i know like The Last Guardian its just a gamers wishful thinking (tear drop tear drop)

@Faron "I probably know a lot more about the Wii U, have played it more, and own more Wii U games than you do." Dumbest comment I've ever read. How would you have any way of knowing this? BTW, we already have several trolls on this site, there isn't room for you too. Go home dude.

@sinalefa ignorance is bliss my friend…much like everything else Nintendo makes its ahead of its time so people will complain, claim to be fans because they bought the console and its games so they could talk crap and then when its looked back on as being on of the best Nintendo consoles then they'll flip flop and boast about how great it was to have a Wii U…

@Jazzer94@Mahe It will help hardware sales though, it will always be a deciding factor in buying a Wii U. Watch_Dogs will be a deciding factor in other systems for now, but it will eventually be on every platform and not as influential... so it is coming out for release with more of bang than Mario Kart 8 would. Even if MK8 sells great at first, this is a mere fraction of its overall sales, so slower than Watch_Dogs by a long shot...so I'm very confused. Especially since MK7 was on the "dead" 3DS... yeah that had terrible sales, definitely not evergreen at all. I still fail to see any confusion.

It's impressive to me that Mario Kart 8 is #2. It's on one poorly selling platform that has been out for a year and a half. The installed base for the hugely advertised and hyped Watch Dogs is ridiculously greater with two consoles that have been out for 7 years selling to the market saturation point and is also one of the few interesting new games to release on the brand new consoles.

Waiting for the real Wii U console sales numbers which I see people saying no increase and huge increase over and over.

Wow. Can't believe that Wii U hardware numbers are still down. 61K isn't a good number. Glad to see at least MK8 is doing phenomenal though. I have to say though...I'm surprised to see the 3DS pull in 2nd for hardware sales. Dang Kirby really pulled through. I was thinking that it was going to be a tight race between XB1 and Wii U for 2nd. 3DS said, "SCREW THAT...!" LOL Junes NPD should REALLY be interesting.

@Ernest_The_Crab Some good points, but can't agree about the marketing spiel. Too many of Wii U's problems are tied to the Gamepad.

@sinalefa I only learned to dislike the Gamepad through my use and ownership of the Wii U. I was cautiously optimistic at first, even tried to like it despite my doubts. But... the Gamepad turned out to be simply a huge mistake from Nintendo.

However, imagine the "word of mouth" effect: I'm the kind of early adopter that buys consoles I'm interested in early on, and with more money than might be prudent. The impressions of early adopters like me then shape the larger crowds: is there enough recommendations for a new console and its games, or are the early adopters' experiences "meh" or even greatly disappointed?

While there are still Wii U fans remaining on sites like this, the early impressions were a lot of disappointment and disinterest. Nintendoland wasn't the game that Nintendo had hoped would set off the "word of mouth", and other games were lacking and too far between as well. So, not only was the Gamepad experience bad, the games were not up to the quality of the Wii and good games were too far between, and in addition, the price was too high for many outside the early adopter group. That's a lot of factors adding to the lack of positive reputation, and even negative word of mouth. And the Wii U has never gotten out of that rut. With the latest E3, it's sinking only deeper.

Yet, I've kept it so far because there are still games I can play without the Gamepad (like Mario Kart 8), and I was waiting to see how the situation develops between Wii U, PS4 and other platforms. The Wii U also is the best way to play Wii games thanks to HDMI output.

@Mahe Well their marketing is based on whom they want to target and I'm pretty sure the GamePad came around from them trying to target a specific market (or multiple depending on how you look at it). It's true the GamePad is causing some problems but it isn't the origin point for most if all of the problems the Wii U is having. The problem is Nintendo has NO idea on whom they want to target anymore. The Wii U is the result of their lack of direction.

Well I'd say there is some good that comes out of this though. Nintendo seems to create their better games when they are backed into a corner and it's doubtful that they'll sink after one lackluster generation.

@Mahe Hey man experiences do differ... Nintendo created the Gamepad as a new tool for developers to give new, creative gameplay experiences to the players... and NintendoLand was supposed to be just a small sample of the possibilities, and I know when that hit for me and mine it was a positive experience with people waiting for their turn, WANTING to use the Gamepad... too bad developers didn't want to add to the idea or be a part of it.

Ya, but it was out for only 2 days of the month of May. Think about THAT. 2 days on store shelves and it STILL doubled sales over last year. 48 hours, now imagine what an entire MONTH of sales will look like.

And seriously, you're logic is pretty far fetched if you think having a second screen is actually a BAD thing. It's like saying you hate the PS4 because you don't like better graphics. I can assure you, NO ONE is looking at the Wii U and thinking "Oh, what a great system, if only it didn't have a second screen". It's simple. The Wii market was a one night stand audience. NOTHING will bring them back into the fold. The gamepad didn't drive them away in the first place, and dropping it certainly won't entice them to come back. The habitual console gamer is now Nintendo's audience again. They realize this, as evidenced by their E3 presentation. Even the most hardcore MS and Sony fans will concede that the gamepad is a great controller, and these people hate Nintendo- even THEY recognize it's value.

The gamepad was never the issue. People like you, for some reason or another, believe it's the issue, but it was never the issue. There's a lot of reasons Nintendo has a tough time in the home console market- a problem that started LONG BEFORE THE Wii, and long before the gamepad was ever a thing.

But the gamepad is here to stay, like it or not, and everyone here is enjoying it to the fullest extent. Sorry you're not, but we are Don't know what else to tell you. As long as we, the fanbase, are happy, that's all that matters. And after Nintendo's recent E3 presentation, I see nothing but happy Nintendo fans everywhere I look.

Mahe is entitled to his opinion and we all know what it is. Yes that's right, he HATES the gamepad. He tells us this in every thread. No-one will change his view. I tend to skip past his comments personally.

Personally I like the gamepad. I don't really use off TV play but it's mega useful for browsing and I think it's probably the most comfortable controller I've ever used. My girlfriend thought it was ridiculous at first but now she loves it.

As a Sony fan since PS1, I'll say the PS4 is the most overrated console of all times. None of the games seem to interest me at the moment. I have to wonder why people desperately want it so badly? Even I admit Microsoft has better diverse of exclusives and I respect that. I do have a hard time choosing between buying the Xbox one or PS4. I will choose the PS4 anyway since I am a true supporter but there are no interesting games whereas Xbox one has quite a few. Why do people hate the Xbox One so much? I think it would be a great system to have. I have no hate towards consoles. Overall I totally want Nintendo to win this gen because they have fantastic games and they release top quality 1st party games.

I agree. Nintendo hobbled the Wii U with the name, the dire lack of games in the systems first 7 months, and poor/non-existent marketing. I personally would have made he Gamepad optional too but it's too late for that now. The Wii U is what it is.

The best Nintendo can hope for is to use the Wii U to keep fans on board, make a profit and build momentum for its replacement. Thankfully, E3 showed they intend to do that and because of the lack of third-party support it means here going to have to be putting out a lot of software in 2015 and in all likelihood 2016. Wii U looks more and more like the GC all the time.

I just have one question, yet unasked: @Mahe, if you despise the Gamepad so much, please expound on why this is. I know you're not obligated to do so, but after reading through a good number of your comments, I'd like a reward for having stayed awake. Keep the response free of Internet heresay and general complaints and focus on your personal issues.Myself, I use a Gamepad that was dropped accidentally onto concrete by my young child, so the range of the Gamepad is limited to a few feet. Sorta defeats the purpose. On the other hand, before the drop, I enjoyed full retail gaming, Netflix, and Internet browsing which dwarfs both the PS3 and 360s experience on a light, button and analog stick adorned tablet, anywhere in my domicile. If you think it's because the Gamepad is awkward, your hands are small. If you think it's heavy, you should stick to desk jobs where pieces of paper are unable to make your life difficult. I assume that you have access to a Wii U but don't actually own one.Why do I assume good sir? The only thing I've ever heard you say about your 'negative Gamepad experience' is that it's 'disappointing'.Guess what? I typed this entire message with my left hand ONLY. My laptop isn't available, so I typed this message on my Gamepad. Which, I'm not sure if you've ever broken a hand before, but it would make typing on any other system impossible. 8 minutes. Start to finish. With one hand. But hey, you tell me why life with a Wii U is so hard.

@JosieC84 I agree completely about the PS4. It is the most overhyped piece of junk I've ever owned. The console itself feels cheap, the controller battery is pathetic (seriously it gives the gamepad's a run for its money), the controller itself isnt the greatest ever as most would have you believe, 3rd place to the Xbone & Wii U pro, & worst of all the games have been nothing but a mehfest. Sony have brainwashed the ignorant masses & are playing the hell out that. And Sony themselves have been so arrogant as of late, which doesnt fly well with me. The funny part is that its Nintendo & MS with the big name exclusives..................I just dont understand gamers these days, its pretty obvious Sony have been talking out their ass since day 1.Excuse the rant!

They've done what they did the last 3 generations i.e. made a console that's powerful for the price, has all the big multi platform games and a few exclusives. That's not to mention big indie support and Playstation Plus pushing Vita/PS3 owners across. It's not rocket science and the significance of exclusives is greatly overplayed. If people only intended to buy one console every generation or one every couple of years they want a spread of software.

@Mahe I dont know guys, I kinda agree with Mahe on this. I have a Wii U since launch, lots an lots of games and I hate the Gamepad, but I love the games, I never play with the Gamepad only with the Pro Controller. Gamepad is used to turn the system on in my eyes now.

The second screen idea works extremely well with the 3/DS but that is because BOTH screens are in your hands. Having the second screen in my hands distracts me from my game on my big tv on the Wii U. I really hate the gamepad, it is pointless, and if fanboys (for which I am one too, but not a Fanboy for the gamepad, I'm allowed to have an opinion too guys) cant see this then, oh well.

Yes the Gamepad separates the Wii U from the XBOne and PS4, but you all know it, the general public just dont like it or have no interest in playing with a screen in there hands as a home console, its a bad idea from Nintendo and at the end of the day there is nothing they can do about it now so they will just ride it out till their next gen, fair enough.

But the fact that you HAVE to buy the Gamepad with the system and THEN paid another €50 for the controller you want, its just not working, I've excepted that its a failure, why cant there people stop defending it and just move on.

@theBluntKnight At the end of the day this is just an internet forum, with randomers from around the world with opinions just like mine and yours, people take them to heart for some silly reason. I dont like the Gamepad but I love the system and games, most people like the gamepad, its not the end of the world. Just a bad move for Ninty is all, as is shown in real life sale figures each week/month/year sadly.

Guys, one person disliking something does not a troll make. This is ridiculous, the next person to start flinging insults instead of discussing civilly gets temp-banned. This is your warning: if you don't like what someone here has to say, just ignore them. Thanks!

@theBluntKnight I actually agree with this so much. I cannot comprehend how someone can look at the wiiu gamepad,something that has been repeatedly refered to as integral to the whole wiiu archetecture(sp) can buy one and then do nothing but go on a website to moan constantly about it. If you buy it and dont like it,fair does. But seriously,get rid of the wiiu. Its clearly not for you and let the rest of us who enjoy the gamepad in peace

@Ichiban I wouldnt call the ps4 a peace of junk but I actually agree with your other points. It is overhyped,it does feel cheap and yes the pads batteries are crap. But,same as with the wiiu, I will keep the ps4 for the awesome games coming to it. No mans sky, infamous, drive club, destiny and uncharted are worth the gripes to me. Same as a shoddy battery and no 3rd party support are easily ignored when I have mario kart 8, w10,bayo 2 and smash to play!

I always just ignore @Mahe. I personally like the Gamepad and I like my Wii U enough to tell people about it. -shrug- I think the problem lies more in lack of advertising than the Gamepad, because I've never met a person outside of this site who has tried a Wii U and has a problem with the Gamepad.

Anyway, nice to see numbers like this! Hopefully the sales are the start of something even bigger... but I think they're a temporary thing. This holiday season is where we're really going to see the Wii U take off.* That and next year. One of my best friends is waiting until next year to buy hers after seeing the E3 show.
*For certain values of "take off"

@Mahe I agree with your comment about the gamepad. Overall, it's not well received and I'm starting to see a trend with your "average" gamer and their dislike of the gamepad. I have 2 friends (30 and younger) who were pumped to come over and play Mario Kart 8. While here, both complained about the gamepad as the primary option with the Wii U and it barely helps etc. I have 4 extra controllers so my friends can chose what they want. What about new fans/costumers? The gamepad looks clumpy, is awkward to hold and they don't fully "get" how to incorporate it into games. I don't think they would ever do it, but Nintendo should have the Wii U Pro Controller included in its bundle IMO. The gamepad really falls through as a primary game controller. As an entertainment platform control (netflix, you tube, Skype, games etc), it's outstanding. Including a proper future generation controller would hook more people from across gaming lines (sony/xbox people) and younger kids because no one under 15 can actually hold the gamepad.

@Lobster I am a big fan of the Wii U but the gamepad (IMO) is not good enough to fully support the system and attract new people. 6+ million since launch in 2012 is pretty bad. We can say we "love" this and "love" that but Nintendo needs sales to justify making what we love. I use my gamepad a lot; especially for off TV play and netflix but most of my friends and my wife dislike it to play with. They prefer my themed wii remotes (M,L,P) and 95% of my guy friends in their 20's and 30's like the Wii U Pro Controller. Keep the gamepad because I think it's an amazing piece of tech. But Nintendo is ramming the gamepad down the gaming market and only loyal Nintendo fans are buying it. It's time to try something new to boost sales. Great games are coming but they aren't here yet. Including the Wii U Pro Controller in the bundles with the regular system could help attract more customers. They were willing to put a Mario Wii Remote in the MK8 bundle so why not try the Wii U Controller with Watch Dogs?

@Ryno I'm not, the same thing happened with the Wii and the DS/3DS too when that game dropped. Due to the Mario Party style of racing it takes on now based on items coupled with the strong internet core with it, it's basically the ultimate fishing lure to pull in all those people in the pond waiting on an excuse.